Episode 16 - “Person/Pet Relationships: Pt 1 - with Douglas Green"

Animals not only share the earth with us, but are our companions, confidantes, protectors, coworkers, friends, and family... The domestication of cats and dogs runs alongside the evolution of human civilization.  To many of us, our relationships with our animals are as significant as any we have with fellow humans, and the loss of them can be devastating. 

In the late 1970s, in Northern Israel, archeologists unearthed the buried remains of a human ancestor positioned with its hands resting on a 6-month old wolf pup – the skeletons are dated at over twelve thousand years old.  Although we cannot be 100% certain of the circumstances contributing to these skeleton postures, researchers believe it’s further indication of the long existence of an affectionate bond between person and pet.  

While dogs have been joining humans on the nomadic hunt long before we settled into agricultural societies, researchers find evidence of feline domestication may be more recent, only about ninety-five hundred years ago - when we started settling into villages and needed our furry nocturnal friends to aid in population control of rodents attracted to our grain storages.

So, what part of our natural selves do animals bring us back in touch with?  What lessons of life and death can we learn from our relationships with our pets? 

In the following episodes we explore some of the special qualities of the animal/human connection and are joined by Douglas Green (http://www.douglasgreenmft.com/), A marriage and family therapist here in Los Angeles, who has written a book about his own special relationship with a pet, titled "The Teachings of Shirelle:  Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead” (www.CavalleriaPress.com).  

www.DoctorWendyOConnor.com

e:  [email protected]

fb: https://www.facebook.com/askdrwendy

tw: @askDrWendy

www.JenniJVWilson.com

e:  [email protected]

fb: www.facebook.com/JenniJVWilson

tw: @JenniJVWilson

www.DouglasGreenmft.com

www.AskShirelle.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Ask.Shirelle

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheTeachingsOfShirelle

tw: @DougGreenAuthor

Book - “The Teachings of Shirelle:  Life Lessons From a Divine Knucklehead” - Douglas Green

http://www.amazon.com/The-Teachings-Shirelle-Lessons-Knucklehead/dp/099122812X

Resources & Clips:

http://nkla.org/

https://www.aspca.org/

image of skeletons of Natufian human w/wolf pup

http://news.sciencemag.org/sites/default/files/50417W_5.jpg

Article: “Can Pets Keep Us Healthy?”

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2009/february/feature1.htm

Article: “Evidence for Domestication of the dog 12,000 years ago in the Natufian of Israel"

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v276/n5688/abs/276608a0.html

Article:  “How Humans Created Cats”

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/how-humans-created-cats/282391/

Article:  “A Brief History of House Cats”

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-house-cats-158390681/?no-ist

Book - The Blessings of a Skinned Knee - Wendy Mogel, PhD

http://www.wendymogel.com/books/skinned_knee

The Chiffons - "One Fine Day"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvyOqKhKWQ4

Theme from Love Story (1970)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTSc4hBdCd0

Meghan Trainor - “Credit"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJgqrLtFTZg

The Shirelles - “Mama Said"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQlImg2bm28